July 24, 2003

A persuasive argument for President Bush’s eventual militarism of the U.S.:

“This country has become too much of a fashisiom, it’s sad really.”

(From a rambling comment to the messageboard on UFO Dreams)

One of the disadvantages of writing all my journal entries in advance is that, if I respond to a current event, it’s at least a day old by the time I post my response.

Thus with this journal entry from Brennen. He writes:

Decided the other day that routines are most often born of a failure to penetrate the surface of things, a general lack of awareness. You order the same thing every time at the coffeeshop because you don’t know what else is on the menu. Decided this is a key thing to remember. The world is infinitely deeper and more complex than floating along the top would ever suggest.

And I thought…nah.

Routine allows us to navigate a complex world. Without routine, we’d be presented with so many decisions every day that there’d be too much to cope with. I’d rather concentrate on the important things rather than the mundane ones (most of the time).

Routine also speeds up life. I like Martin’s Potato Bread. I’ve tried different kinds. I like Martin’s best. When I’m at the store and I need bread, I zip down the bread aisle, and with the practiced ease of a kung fu master, whip out a loaf of Martin’s Potato Bread and lay it in my cart. Without routine, I’d spend maybe five times longer at the grocery store. And I’d rather minimize my time at the grocery store so I can spend more time reading or drawing or writing.

I feel strongly about this because I’m still getting used to my routine after having moved. Moving out of my parents’ house into my own place completely disrupted all of my non-work routines, and it was a real pain. I don’t want to return to that place.

Do I think that all routine is good? No. Sometimes, it’s good to try a different kind of bread. But I have no desire to suspend all my routines, and they are not born out of a general lack of awareness.

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